In August 2023, Oliver Anthony went from a virtual unknown to a household name with the independent single “Rich Men North of Richmond.” The song debuted atop the Billboard 100, making Anthony (real name: Christopher Anthony Lunsford) the first artist to achieve this without any previous chart history. Recently, Anthony shocked fans when he announced he would step away from the music industry little more than a year after finding viral fame. However, the 32-year-olid Virginian was very clear that this does not mean the end of his music career. Taking to social media Tuesday (Nov. 5), Anthony shared an unreleased song.
Videos by American Songwriter
Oliver Anthony Debuts New Song, “It’s About Time”
In a very on-brand move for someone who rose to fame singing the plight of the working class, Oliver Anthony recorded “It’s About Time” on his cell phone. “Like back in the good old days,” he said in a video posted to YouTube.
“It’s November the 4th, around 6:30 in the evening,” he continued. “And I don’t know what the outcome will be tomorrow, but I wrote this song called “It’s About Time.”
Anthony’s decision to debut the song the day before the U.S. presidential election definitely seems deliberate. I swear I’m losing my mind, he sings. Oh God, well it’s been a long time coming.
“Wow… goosebumps… I LOVE this song,” one YouTube user wrote. “Record it. I want to listen to it over and over again.”
[RELATED: How Oliver Anthony’s New Album Does (And Doesn’t) Move Away From Polarizing Narratives]
On YouTube, Anthony used the caption to share some sobering facts about his home state. “There are statistics online showing that Virginia’s food insecurity rate is around 11%,” he wrote. “That means one out of every seven children in my state has experienced some level of starvation.”
He continued, “I hope we can bridge the gap between consumer and farm, and cut out huge food engineering corporations and monopolies. I’m working on a system that can help connect all of us more effectively and start to starve out those who have been starving us.”
What’s Next?
Recently, Oliver Anthony announced he would exit the music industry in favor of starting a traveling ministry.
“I have this vision for this thing that I’m calling the Real Revival Project,” he explained in a YouTube video. “And it’s basically going to start as a grassroots music festival, but hopefully it grows into something that can literally change our landscape and our culture and the way we live.”
Featured image via Oliver Anthony / Instagram)
Leave a Reply
Only members can comment. Become a member. Already a member? Log in.